NUCLIDIUM Secures NorthStar Copper-67 Supply and Manufacturing Ahead of Planned Therapy Studies

NUCLIDIUM AG, a clinical-stage radiopharmaceutical developer, has signed a copper-67 supply and manufacturing deal with NorthStar Medical Technologies. In a joint announcement on October 19, 2026, the companies said NorthStar will produce copper-67 (Cu-67) and provide “comprehensive radiopharmaceutical manufacturing services” for NUCLIDIUM’s therapeutic programs “from clinical development through commercialization.”

The story is supply. A developer whose lead candidates target metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) and metastatic breast cancer (mBC) has lined up isotope production and manufacturing through a U.S. partner, at NorthStar’s campus in Beloit, Wisconsin. Frank Scholz, NorthStar’s President and CEO, said “reliable isotope supply and scalable manufacturing infrastructure will be essential for successful commercialization.” No financial terms, volumes, contract length or delivery timelines were disclosed.

What the copper-67 supply deal covers

The companies said the work combines NorthStar’s “proprietary Copper-67 production technology, cGMP manufacturing, and commercial-scale infrastructure.” The release does not name the Cu-67 production method. Radiology Business reported that NorthStar makes both Cu-67 and actinium-225 (Ac-225) using electron accelerators.

NUCLIDIUM’s lead programs are NU101 for mCRPC and NU201 for mBC. The company pairs isotopes in a theranostic design, using copper-61 for diagnostics and copper-67 for therapy. In the October 19 announcement, Leila Jaafar, PhD, NUCLIDIUM’s CEO and co-founder, said the company “remains on track to initiate multiple therapeutic studies utilizing Copper-67 for mCRPC and mBC in the coming months.” That is a company plan, not a completed event. Radiology Business noted that “the aforementioned therapies remain investigational, and their safety and efficacy will need to be evaluated through clinical studies.”

Copper-67 physics, from beta therapy to SPECT imaging

The therapeutic case rests on the beta emission. According to PRISMAP’s Cu-67 reference page, published by an EU Horizon 2020-funded radionuclide consortium, Cu-67 decays by β- decay with a half-life of 2.576 days (61.8 h) to stable zinc-67. It also emits low-energy conversion and Auger electrons, and gamma rays at 184.6 keV (44.2%) and 91.3/93.3 keV (together 21.1%) that can be used for SPECT imaging.

Those gamma lines mean a Cu-67 therapy could, in principle, also be imaged. The release describes Cu-67 as a short-range isotope that “emits beta radiation to induce cell death in targeted tumor cells.”

A 61.8-hour half-life also bears on logistics. At that rate, roughly a quarter of a batch’s activity decays each day, and about 76% of the starting activity remains after 24 hours. That loss has to be planned around, so production, manufacturing and administration must be coordinated closely enough that enough activity remains at the time of use. Neither company framed the deal in those terms.

No efficacy results accompany the announcement

The announcement contains no therapeutic efficacy results for NU101 or NU201, and a supply and manufacturing agreement is a different thing from evidence that either therapy works.

What remains open about NorthStar’s capacity

Jaafar called the agreement a “critical moment”; neither the release nor Radiology Business offers capacity figures.

Open questions include NorthStar’s Cu-67 production capacity, whether it supplies other developers, and whether that undisclosed capacity can support the planned development work.

About the sources: The deal details come from the October 19, 2026 company press release, issued by NUCLIDIUM AG and quoting both chief executives. Radiology Business’s report by Hannah Murphy draws on and repeats that release, so the two describe one announcement. The release ties electron accelerator technology only to Ac-225, while Radiology Business extends it to Cu-67. Physical decay data come from PRISMAP’s Cu-67 reference page, which is undated and is not a U.S. regulatory or IAEA source.